"but rather"

Question

is "but rather" used correctly n the sentence below?The explosion caused by dynamite does not cause fire but rather immediate demolition.

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

haroon rashidis "but rather" used correctly n the sentence

Yes.

Thomas Tompion · Answer

Hello Haroon Rashid.

I wouldn't use but rather in the way you suggest for two reasons:

1. rather might be seen as qualifying immediate, so avoid its use directly before adjectives.
2. but rather, as a contrasting device, is more happily used in sentences which have parallel constructions, with identical grammatical status. Your sentence lacks this quality: cause fire has different grammatical status to immediate demolition; the first is a clause, and the second a noun phrase.

Look at these three sentences from the British Corpus - I will underline the two parallel concepts in each case:

Mental activity becomes, not the movement of a disembodied sprite anxiously wandering the corridors of the brain, but rather a mode of relating by which the organism contacts, interprets, and acts on its world.

The goal of tolerance and mutual respect is not one, all-embracing religion, but rather unity in diversity.

This is not the result of incompetence, but rather the consequences of an understandable ignorance.

You need to ensure that what follows but rather has the same grammatical status as what follows the not.

PS. Cross-posted with Mister Micawber

Mister Micawber · Answer

I see no problem with the elision in the original sentence:

The explosion caused by dynamite does not cause fire but rather [causes] immediate demolition.

Thomas Tompion · Answer

Then we'll just have to disagree.

I looked through the first fifty examples produced by the BNC (the British Corpus) and the only one which used elision was this one:

I do not intend to have a restrictive but rather an expansive definition.

Clearly the parallel between restrictive and expansive is obvious. I have no objection to this at all.

The danger of using but rather before an adjective is illustrated by this example:

They are very fast in light to medium winds, but rather difficult to sail because of their rounded shape.

This sentence is fine, because there is no negative in the opening clause. It doesn't use the contrastive not...but rather formula.

Make the opening clause negative and adjust for the contrastive second part, and it has the problem I see in Haroon Rashid's sentence:

They are not slow in light to medium winds, but rather difficult to sail because of their rounded shape.

I know we are being invited to provide an elided they are, but the not...but rather construction isn't happy when used like this, in my view, and the BNC seems to agree with me.

Mister Micawber · Answer

Thomas TompionThey are not slow in light to medium winds, but rather difficult to sail because of their rounded shape.

That one is beyond redemption because it includes 4 factors: slow, winds, difficult and shape. I don't see that problem in Haroon's simpler construction. Such things have to be taken into account when considering submission to a rule.

Thomas Tompion · Answer

Most of my objection to Haroon Rashid's sentence would evaporate were he to change it to:

The explosion caused by dynamite does not cause fire but rather ensures immediate demolition.

The interesting, and maybe surprising, point is that dynamite doesn't cause fire, so I'd be inclined to turn the sentence round, avoid the clumsy repetition of cause, and say:

The dynamite explosion ensures immediate demolition but does not cause fire.

So I'm not clear that the not...but rather formula is a very suitable way of putting what Haroon Rashid wishes to express.

Mister Micawber · Answer

Thomas TompionSo I'm not clear that the not...but rather formula is a very suitable way of putting what Haroon Rashid wishes to express.

I can certainly agree with that!

"but rather"

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